One of the most important events on the National Football League calendar is the Senior Bowl. Held the week after the conference championship games, it is the true beginning of the NFL draft cycle.
Not only do scouts and analysts like us get to see over 100 draft prospects in one place competing against each other, but it’s also an opportunity for analysts and personnel alike to get together and have discussions about a number of topics.
As we look forward to this year’s Senior Bowl, managing editor Tyler Forness will be there in person to break everything down.
We will be breaking down each position group and what to look for throughout the week. Here is the quarterback position.
Notre Dame's Sam Hartman
After spending five seasons at Wake Forest with the slow mesh, Hartman wanted to prove that he could play in a pro-style system that wasn’t heavy on gimmicks to succeed in the passing game.
Hartman went to Notre Dame to play for offensive coordinator Tommy Rees but Rees ended up going to Alabama shortly after Hartman arrived on campus. He had a decent year but not the one that he had hoped for. Without high-end arm talent, Hartman will need to show he can dominate with anticipation and accuracy if he wants to see his draft stock rise.
South Alabama's Carter Bradley
Every year, there is seemingly at least one player from South Alabama invited to the Senior Bowl. It is, after all, played on South Alabama’s campus in Mobile, AL.
After a good performance at the Hula Bowl, Bradley received his invite within hours of the conclusion of the game. He is a strong-armed quarterback with the ability to drive the ball to all areas of the field. Bradley needs some work to become a quality prospect but a good performance in Mobile can help him get there.
Tennessee's Joe Milton
If you want to see a quarterback with immense arm talent, Milton is this year’s prospect that can throw it a country mile. The big question is going to be whether or not Milton can throw it short and with accuracy.
Consistency has always been Milton’s biggest issue and that has continued throughout his stints at both Michigan and Tennessee. His footwork, decision making and accuracy have all been suspect during his career. Has his time preparing for the draft improved those issues? If not, his deep bombs might be his only highlight.
Oregon's Bo Nix
Nix is going to be the prospect that gets the most attention in Mobile. Not only did he start at Auburn, Nix is currently the higherst-ranked quarterback by many analysts that will be at the Senior Bowl and there is a lot for Nix to prove.
After three up and down seasons at Auburn, Nix was much more successful in the last two seasons at Oregon, including a New Year’s Six berth in the Fiesta Bowl. While he was both more successful in record and on the stat sheet, the context of why he was successful. His aDOT was a paltry 6.9 yards while his contemporaries were consistently in the double digits. Everyone will be watching how Nix performs throughout the week.
South Carolina's Spencer Rattler
Rattler is arguably the most intriguing quarterback prospect heading to the Senior Bowl. After the 2020 season when Rattler was at Oklahoma, there were talks about him potentially being the number one overall pick in 2022. Unfortunately, Rattler took a step back and ended up getting benched for Caleb Williams.
After two years with South Carolina, Rattler offers real intrigue for coaches due to his insane arm talent. What he will have to do is answer questions about how his play has fallen off massively from that 2020 season when the former five-star recruit was primed to be a top pick. His arm talent will pop without a doubt during practice, but the consistency and interviews will be massive for his draft stock.
Tulane's Michael Pratt
Day two of the NFL draft at quarterback is going to be interesting to see what happens. After the top three of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, it’s a group of 4-6 players with a chance to go on day one or two. It’s a big question mark on how those players will end up being stacked.
Pratt is a very interesting prospect. He won’t wow you with his tools as he doesn’t have the strongest arm nor is he a dynamic dual-threat. What Pratt does offer is a cerebral approach to the game with the ability to take advantage of yards on the ground. A good performance in Mobile can go a long way.
